Affects my life as a fashionista, how so you may ask? It limits my choices. Have a look at the wardrobe you have, imagine it without leather. Shoes, belts, bags, those tops and bottoms with a touch of leather trim even, all gone. How do I cope, well it’s tricky, very tricky. Yes there are dedicated vegan clothes, but in the majority they are expensive, ugly, or both.

As a guy I have to search high and low to find a wallet as an example. My trousers are held up by a belt that took ages to find, because I didn’t want it to look cheap and plastic. Don’t even get me started on plastic shoes, which in the main are uncomfortable, clunky and just don’t breathe. Thank god for canvas. If kickers and plimsols ever go out of fashion I may spend a lot of time barefoot.

Trying to find a waterproof bag that doesn’t look like you could put a few poles in and use it as part of a tent is hard. We sent probes to the edge of the solar system but we can’t find a decent replacement for leather. Incidentally we went to the moon about two decades before we thought to put wheels on suitcases so I shouldn’t be surprised. Yes the younger of you may think that is a joke but wheels on suitcases are a modern invention!

We all think that looking flawless is a full-time job doing it as a vegan is like unpaid overtime on a Friday night though.

That being said I wouldn’t change it for anything, my health has improved, I’ve learned to cook properly again. Vegan takeaway is rare in the suburbs. My body is also better for not consuming so much dairy I could finish a food mountain. I feel more healthy than I ever did before.

I’ve learned the good places to look for style, I’ve found the workable alternatives, so it’s all good.

If you want to try being a vegan fashionista though you will need patience, and you better eat before events. Yep another myth busted. people think that fashion revolves around tiny plates of raw veg served to models who hold it for a while before chucking it in a plant pot. Nope, actually over the years I have done this food at events has become much better, often high-class, and increasingly inviting, but still never any vegan canapes.

But these are my choices, we all have to make our own. It would be preachy of me to enforce them or exclude labels because they use leather. There is only one thing I won’t feature and that’s fur. But that would be a post on its own. Anyway here ends the insight into my life, I’m off to get a soy milk, quinoa superfood salad because everyone thinks vegan is super healthy, but remember chips, crisps and dark choc are all vegan so let’s get the party started.